Without You, I Am Lost
by Meister Kasper
Summary: Resbang 2015 - The meisters wake up in the desert; beaten, left for dead, and weaponless. Unknown to the meisters, their partners have been kidnapped by a group of witches. Both groups are on desperate missions to reunite with their partners; one on a grueling journey across scorching deserts and frigid wilderness, the other struggling to escape from the witches' torture.
1. Prologue

Before the walls burst apart in an explosion of blinding light, the room dimmed on the meisters and weapons in a warm, dreamy silence while curled up in each other's arms.

Before they were jolted awake in a confused, horrifying panic, the seven of them fell into a comforting slumber surrounded by the ones they held dearest in their hearts.

Before the attack, all was as perfect as any of them could've imagined.

In the hushed intimacy of the darkened room, the assassin lay quietly, slowly running his fingers through Tsubaki's long dark hair with a seriousness in his expression that made his weapon shiver.

 **With her body out of commission Tsubaki's mind wandered, allowing vicious thoughts into her head.**

With her sister nestled at her feet, Liz's head rested against Kid's chest, warm and reassuring; to each other they were home.

 **Anger and frustration seeped into Liz's veins.**

Soul's cheek rested against his meister's head as she snuggled in the crook of his neck; the two of them were so close together, wavelengths buzzing but hearts beating faster.

 **Those last seven words echoed in Soul's head, banging around his skull and strangling his heart.**

In tangles of arms and legs, skin flush against skin, fingers hesitantly laced together and lips ghosted between the boundaries of temperance and hushed desires.

Then the room lit up in fire, and evils threatened to rip them apart forever.

 _ **Without you, I am lost...**_


	2. The Beginning

They always met on Friday nights, usually at Kid's mansion. They'd file into the basement, armed with mountains of blankets and pillows, curl up in front of the TV with whatever the pick of the week happened to be, and then pass out until morning.

This week it was Liz's turn - some action thriller with lots of guys in leather jackets.

Soul sighed from his spot on the beanbag with Maka, enjoying the warmth of his meister nestled against his chest.

Kid and the Thompsons were on the couch on the opposite side of the room. Patty's head rested against a pillow on Kid's lap, his hand stroking through her short blonde hair. With his other arm he held Liz against his side. Soul could hear Kid whispering into Liz's ear - what exactly he was saying, he wasn't sure.

Black Star and Tsubaki sat on the floor with a shared blanket pulled around their shoulders. Said meister had a bucket of popcorn in his lap - which continuously spewed kernels every time he got excited of an action scene.

Soul sighed inwardly.

So. Much. Touching.

Spartoi as a whole was really just a moshpit of confusing feelings that blurred the lines of romance and friendship. The only _clear_ platonic relationships between meister and weapon were Kilik with the twins and Ox and Harvar. The clearest 'this is definitely more than a meister/weapon relationship' was probably between Kim and Jackie.

Soul and Maka were at the point of heavy petting - and really everyone just assumed they had an unspoken 'thing' with each other, but there were no labels.

Much to his delight, as soon as the movie had started Maka eagerly pulled him down with her onto an oversized beanbag. The dimmed light had done well to mask his blush and eagerness as she pulled a quilt over them and tangled her legs with his.

Soul looked down at his meister. She was so tiny against his lanky frame - now filled out thanks to a late growth spurt that left him at a lanky 6 foot height and a broadened chest.

Maka yawned and looked up to meet his gaze, smiling sleepily. She reached up and began combing her fingers through his hair. Soul had to remind himself to breathe.

"You need a haircut," she said.

Moment ruined.

"What?" Soul exclaimed, earning him a look from Kid and a smirk from Liz.

"It's just… it's so… If it gets any longer you're not going to be able to see, Soul."

Said weapon pouted and turned away. "I thought you liked it long."

"I do," Maka said. She turned his face back to her. "I'm just saying you should get it cleaned up a little. Try a new style maybe other than just the gel. Don't wanna look like a mop, ya know?"

Soul scoffed and pulled their shared quilt over her face. "What do you know about style."

"Soul! Stop I can't-"

"Oi lovebirds, either get a room or shut up!" Black Star hollered. "This dude's about to blow up the bad guy headquarters and-"

He was interrupted by a very annoyed shush from Liz.

Maka pulled back the edge of the quilt and peeked up at Soul, almost giving her weapon a heart attack. It was _not_ okay for someone to be that cute - and alternately terrifying when she was pissed.

Soul ran his hand through his hair. "Ehhh I mean I _could_ if you think it would look better…"

Maka beamed. "I can do it for you!"

"Maka. _No._ "

His meister grinned and Soul couldn't help but to give her a soft smile back. He sighed. "We'll see."

God she smelled so good.

Part of the reason he liked being this close to her - besides the fact that he was a sucker for any physical touch with his meister - was that when they were like this, Soul felt the static in his head quiet. As soon as they would settle against each other he would always let out a silent sigh of relief, as if he'd been holding his breath until then.

No more gnawing madness, no more taunting Oni, no more of that sickly anguish that would creep up on him and keep him up at night.

Maka was sanity. Maka was comfort. Maka was home.

He glanced over at the others, saw the shine in Tsubaki's eyes as she giggled at Black Star and the way Liz rested comfortably under Kid's arm.

Damn weapon genes.

Maybe to an outsider it might've just seemed like a normal teenage lack-of-personal-space thing. Look at it from a certain angle and maybe they were just _really good friends._ Fighting a kishin could do that to you.

But Soul knew better.

It was in a weapon's nature to become attached to their meisters, Soul thought as he gently combed through Maka's ponytails with his fingers - to which she playfully complained.

The death scythe sighed again and plopped his head against hers. Maka could shave his head and Soul would still be hopelessly attached to his meister.

He was so fucked.


	3. The Lonely Desert

The world came together in a blurry view of the dimly lit sky.

Maka licked her lips; dazed, confused, and _oh god in FUCKING PAIN._

A pitiful moan escaped her lips. Everything hurt: her throbbing head, her arm that she was positive was broken, her skin that felt like it was on fire from numerous gashes and abrasions. Only one eye would open, the other swollen shut.

"S-Soul," Maka rasped. She turned her head and spit out blood. "What happened? Where… where are we?"

No answer.

"Soul?" Maka tried again.

Still nothing.

Maka's breath quickened, panic welling inside her. "Soul!?" The louder strain on her voice forced her into a coughing fit. Blood spattered the ground beneath her.

Someone beside her groaned.

There was a millisecond of relief before the panic came back. It was a guy's voice, but too high to be Soul's.

"Black Star?" Maka tried to sit up, but every nerve in her body screamed _no._

"Shit," Black Star winced. "Where am I?" There were a few moments of shuffling and pained grunts before he was crouching next to her.

Maka blinked up at her fellow meister. Black Star was soaked in blood, his clothes and hair practically scarlet. One hand gingerly clutched his left side ribs and a nasty cut went across his shoulder.

"Maka?" He cocked his head, eyebrows narrowing. "Damn, what happened to you?"

"Like you look any better," Maka scoffed. "Help me up."

Black Star offered her his free hand.

Maka bit her lip as he pulled her upright, trying but failing to silence her cry of pain.

Yeah. Her arm was definitely broken.

"Where's Soul?" Maka asked.

"Dunno," Black Star shrugged. "Was gonna ask you the same thing about Tsubaki."

The panic in Maka's chest grew. She looked around, frustrated at her compromised vision.

They had been lying in some sort of ditch out in the middle of the desert. There was no sign of any other life around, just Maka and Black Star. The sun blazed high above them, grinning widely and chuckling.

They had gotten the shit beat out of them, and were now left for dead in the ruthless Nevada desert.

Alone. Without their weapons.

A thousand questions were zipping through her head, but one rang the loudest.

Soul. Where was Soul?

As if following her train of thought Black Star cupped his hands around his mouth and screamed, "TSUBAKI!"

He was answered only by the taunting echoes that bounced off the never ending sand dunes.

Maka stared desperately into the vast wasteland. "SOUL! SOUL, WHERE ARE YOU!? SOUL!"

Again, only echoes.

What had happened after they fell asleep last night? Was it even last night? How long had they been out?

Frustration built up in Maka's chest, smothering her lungs, strangling her voice. Tears pricked up in the corner of her eyes. "SOUL!" Her voice broke in the middle of her partner's name.

A scoff came from Black Star. "Are you _crying_ , Maka?"

"Shut up I am _not_!."

"Psh. Yeah you are. Cut it out. You're being a baby."

Oh _boy_ did he hit a nerve.

Maka immediately turned on him, green eyes flaring. " _What_ did you just say?"

Anger was an easy replacement for sadness.

"You're being a baby!" Black Star repeated. His gaze was icy when their eyes locked. "If all you can do is cry then you're useless."

In a flash of rage Maka leaned back and raised her feet, aiming right for Black Star's chest.

She should've known better.

Black Star easily deflected her kick, knocking her legs away like she weighed nothing.

Maka rolled painfully on her side, landing face down in the dirt. Her broken arm was trapped under her weight. The pain shooting through her body was paralyzing. Tiny lights dotted her vision.

There was a pause, then Black Star exhaled slowly.

"Sorry," he breathed. "Here."

His hands slipped around Maka's waist and gently hoisted her back into a sitting position.

"Don't touch me," Maka hissed, elbowing him in the stomach once she was upright.

Black Star sighed. "Look, Maka, I'm sorry. But I can't worry about you crying and it isn't going to get us anywhere. We have to get out of here and we have to find our friends."

Maka gritted her teeth. She had a right to be pissed. But he was right, in his own way. And arguing wouldn't get them anywhere. She decided to save it for when they got back to Death City.

"Help me." She jutted her shoulder towards him.

It would've normally been _Soul_ helping her, _Soul_ pulling her back to reality and turning her focus to looking for their friends. For the past 7 years it had been that way. It was always Soul.

Maka glanced at Black Star as he helped her remove her jacket. Tsubaki wasn't with him either.

The stupid jacket was an ordeal in itself.

The first sleeve wasn't too bad. Half of it was torn off anyway. The second took a little longer and Maka nearly biting through her lip.

When it was finally off Maka sucked in a breath, trying not to hyperventilate at the sight of her own bone poking out of her skin.

"Damn," Black Star whistled.

Maka closed her eyes - or rather, her _eye_ since the other was already closed. "Shut up I'll be fine," Maka bit out through clenched teeth.

By the time Maka was comfortably undressed she was dizzy from pain. Her yellow vest was ripped off, insufferable in the desert heat. Black Star helped her tear off the sleeves of her white blouse and make a splint for her arm. Thankfully her skirt and boots were intact enough.

Maka helped Black Star remove his shirt, using strips of the black fabric to wrap his shoulder. She couldn't do much about his ribs.

After much effort they managed to climb out of the ditch. Standing together they looked off into the scorching sand.

"Something bad's happened," Maka said quietly.

Black Star snorted. "No shit."

Maka really wanted to punch him in the nose.

"Maka! Black Star!" Kid stumbled towards them. Without his jacket, he was left in a badly torn white dress shirt, looking just like Maka. But unlike her and Black Star, other than a few minor cuts and a badly scraped left arm, he was mostly unharmed.

"Oh my god, Kid!" Maka exclaimed. "Where did you come from?" She knelt down by the edge of the ditch while Black Star reached down to pull him out. "And where are Liz and Patty?"

"Gone," the reaper said grimly. "I woke up a few yards that way." He motioned to the left. "I heard you two yelling."

Yelling the names of their weapons.

The pit in Maka's stomach deepened. "Do you know what happened?" she asked. "How did we get here?"

Kid nodded, brow creasing as he pushed himself to his feet. "After we fell asleep last night a group of witches came and destroyed Gallows Mansion. Their memory curse doesn't work on Shinigamis." His eyes flickered towards Maka and Black Star. "We fought back, but… They took the weapons."

"Where?" Black Star demanded, hands fisting at his sides. "Imma kick their asses for taking Tsubaki."

"I don't know," Kid sighed. "I don't even know _why._ "

"Well we have to find them!" Black Star yelled. "I don't know about you sorry saps, but a god like me never gives up." He crossed his arms and faced towards the sun. "I'm going to search the entire _universe_ until I find Tsubaki."

"But… where do we even start?" Maka said to herself.

She'd never felt so alone, empty. What kind of shitty meister let their weapon be taken? How could she let them take Soul?

A horrible thought surfaced in her head, prompted by the throb of her broken arm.

Maka's knees buckled.

Kid caught her by the arm - thankfully the unbroken one. "Well, I suppose we start walking."

But no one moved.

For a few moments the three of them stared off into the distance, as if they were hoping to see their weapons somewhere out in the emptiness.

Maka sighed. "How are we supposed to do this without them…"


	4. The Lonely Dungeons

Soul woke up to a bucket of cold water in his face.

"What the hell, Maka!" he sputtered. "Why-" Soul paused when he couldn't reach up with his hands to wipe his eyes. Cold metal trapped his wrists together behind his back. "Maka," he tried blinking the water away, "the fuck is going on?"

"Oh good he's alive," someone breathed a sigh of relief. "He was so still I thought maybe…"

"I told you he wasn't _dead,_ Big Sis," another said.

Soul finally decided on wiping his eyes on his shoulder. He was in some sort of jail cell - or at least, that's what it looked like. There was almost no light, only a small lantern hanging from the wall. Cold black cobblestone lined the floor and walls. A discarded bucket collected water from a leak in the ceiling.

He looked down at himself; shirtless, and covered in scrapes and bruises. His pants were torn to the point of being shorts and his shoes were gone.

Someone grabbed the lantern and crouched in front of him.

"Patty?" Soul squinted at the dark figure.

The youngest weapon came into focus, arms on her knees as she rested on her ankles. Handcuffs hung loosely around her wrists as he held up the light to their faces. "Glad you're awake."

Soul shivered, goosebumps rushing across his bare chest (where the fuck was his shirt?). The usual joy in Patty's voice was gone. Her face was jaded, cheerfulness replaced with an uncharacteristic seriousness that set Soul's nerves on edge.

"What… where's Maka?" Soul asked. He craned his neck to his back. "And why am I in _handcuffs_?"

Two taller figures crawled towards them; Tsubaki and Liz, it looked like.

"Witches kicked our asses," Liz said bitterly. "Came during the night and took us."

The older Thompson sibling squatted next to her sister. Neither looked to be in much better shape than Soul; clothes torn, bodies bruised and bloody.

"Where's Maka?" Soul asked again. "Are they holding the meisters somewhere else?"

Silence.

"We're glad you're okay," Tsubaki said gently, kneeling on the other side of Patty. "You passed out after Maka-"

More silence.

Soul gritted his teeth. "What. After Maka _what_?" he demanded. "What happened to her?! Where is she?!"

Tsubaki looked down at her hands, absently fiddling with the grayed end of her dress.

"We don't know," Patty deadpanned.

"What? What do you mean _you don't know_?" Soul yanked at his handcuffs. He looked between Tsubaki and Liz. "What's wrong with you? How do you just not know where your meister is?"

"Soul!" Patty snapped.

Soul was starting to realize why Kid was scared of her sometimes.

"They took us from them," she said. "They literally ripped us out of their hands. Maka _broke her arm_."

Maka broke her arm…

The whole thing came rushing back to memory; Gallows Mansion being attacked, the basement walls exploding into splinters and fire, Maka wielding him against the witches, Black Star and Kid fighting alongside her.

Soul choked, suddenly sick and dizzy.

Maka thrown against a wall. Maka hitting the ground. Maka as she played the most desperate game of tug-of-war with a witch. _Maka's arm snapping as Soul was ripped away from her_.

Liz caught him when he passed out.

* * *

 **"** **Jeez, Patty, you didn't have to be so harsh," Liz mumbled, gently placing Soul on the ground.**

Patty shrugged. "Sorry."

Liz and Tsubaki exchanged worried glances.

Liz hadn't seen Patty like this in a long time, not since they came to the DWMA. Snarky, blunt, unregretful. It was the attitude that kept her alive when they were on the streets.

Kid. Kid gave them a home. Kid made her smile.

* * *

It was strange; the quietness of the dungeons.

The only sound was the drip of rainwater from the crack in the ceiling.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

The silence was eating at Tsubaki. She kept thinking that she heard Black Star's voice. Shouting that he would surpass god, declaring how he was big and everyone else was small. She had become used to his intense presence and the silence was maddening.

"I wonder if Black Star is with Maka," Tsubaki wondered aloud.

Liz looked up from across the room. "Maybe Kid is with them too." Patty had fallen asleep, her head resting in her sister's lap. Liz aimlessly ran her hand through Patty's hair. "Do you think they're looking for us?"

"Of course," Tsubaki answered. "I have faith in Black Star."

Liz nodded, but didn't respond.

It was more of a reassurance for herself, more than anything, because it was getting harder and harder to shut down ' _he wouldn't give up on me.'_

Maybe he didn't need her. But she needed him.

Tsubaki rested her head on her tucked knees.

What was a weapon without her meister?


	5. The Camellia Blossom

The door to the weapons' cell swung open and slammed against the wall. "That one first," a harsh voice echoed. "She's the one from the Nakatsukasa clan."

At the mention of her lineage Tsubaki looked up - just in time to have a bag pulled over hear head.

"No, no! Let go of me!" Tsubaki yelled. She thrashed and kicked, but rough hands grabbed her by the arms and yanked the weapon to her feet.

"Hey get your hands off her!" Liz yelled angrily. "Patty!"

Through the itchy cloth around her face Tsubaki saw a burst of pink as Patty transformed for her sister.

"Get away from her!" Soul roared.

"Immobilize them," someone ordered.

Three tiny hisses zipped through the air. Darts, maybe? Whatever it was, it was followed by the heavy thuds of her friends falling to the ground.

"No!" Tsubaki screamed. "What did you do to them?! Stop it! Let go!"

Another hiss and something stabbed Tsubaki in the neck.

"No…" her voice faltered. Every muscle was immediately sapped of energy. Her knees buckled.

Someone caught her under the arms. "Next time we start with the tranquilizers," the voice scoffed. "Damn crazy kids."

Tsubaki's consciousness flickered as they dragged her from the cell. Her head hung limp, nodding back and forth with every step they took.

With her body out of commission Tsubaki's mind wandered, allowing vicious thoughts into her head.

If the meisters were with them they would've been able to get out of this place by now. If _Black Star_ was there, she would've been able to fight back.

The bag was ripped off her head and Tsubaki was pushed into another cell. Still weak, she smacked her head against the ground and landed in a pathetic heap.

She winced. Cold blood trickled down her temple.

"Black Star," she breathed.

"Inject the serum," the voice rumbled.

Something pricked her forearm and nightmares flooded her vessels.

Tsubaki shrieked into the ground.

 _Her friends: Maka, Soul, Kid, Liz, Patty, Black Star. All of their bodies broken and bloody lying in front of her. Their screams echoed everywhere, pleading for help, crying out in pain. Black Star rasping "I'm sorry," before going limp in her arms with a gaping hole in his abdomen._

The most terrifying thing was that the nightmares could've easily been real.

Black Star was always so quick to jump into a fight. Whoever the enemy was, whatever the situation, her meister was always up to prove himself.

And as they'd gotten older, though there were less, the enemies became more dangerous. Post-mission care revealed deeper wounds and longer lasting bruises.

Tsubaki often wondered how long they would be able to keep it up. How long would it be until Black Star's confidence _wasn't_ going to be enough to deliver the final blow? How long would it be until Tsubaki's utmost support and faith _wasn't_ going to be enough to come out alive?

When would the universe decide their time was up...

Was it now?

When the visions finally faded Tsubaki didn't even have the energy to cry, despite the fact that it felt like someone had ripped her soul in half.

In appropriate fashion, she lay there in silence like her namesake said she would.

 _When the blossomed petals scatter, it is quietly tragic._

The door opened a few minutes later. "Did you get the right one?" a high pitched voice asked.

"Yes, Lady Darcy," one of the henchmen answered. "The Nakatsukasa girl, just like you asked."

Heels clicked on the hard ground, slowly nearing Tsubaki.

Purple hair fell in front of Tsubaki's blurry vision. "My, my, you're a feisty bunch, aren't you?" The witch Darcy hummed. "My men tell me the blonde ones tried to shoot them when they came to get you. And the white haired one - the deathscythe - apparently he looked pretty upset too."

Tsubaki could only shudder in response.

"And _powerful,_ " Darcy mused. "A death scythe connected to the Albarn family, Lord Death's personal weapons, and another from the Nakatsukasa clan." She chuckled and lifted Tsubaki's chin with her finger. "It was the right choice, choosing you four," she giggled.

"Take her back to the holding cell," she instructed. "And bring me the death scythe."

Lady Darcy released her hold on Tsubaki's chin, letting her head roll to the side. "I'll see you later, dear," she cooed as the henchmen picked her up by the arms. "Rest up. I need your energy back before we do this again."


	6. The Star Clan Assassin

"Ahhh this is _BULLSHIT_!" Black Star screamed, throwing his hands in the air. It earned him a decent glare from Maka as she rubbed her ear.

The three of them had been walking for a whole day in the scorching desert heat. They tried to pack onto Beezlebub, but Kid's skateboard was definitely meant for only one. Kid had offered to go ahead and scout, to at least see if they were going in the right direction, but Maka refused.

"You can't go alone," she had said. "We have to stick together. We don't have our weapons."

At the current moment Maka looked downright awful. Her pigtails were lopsided and messy, her skin burned red under the chuckling sun, and her fingers on her broken arm were turning purple.

Guess ten hours out in a desert could do that to a person.

But not Black Star. He would not let some small heat wave beat him. Hell no.

He would ignore the discomfort of dried blood on his skin, the throbbing pain from his ribs every time he breathed, and most prominently, the way the frickin world was _spinning_.

"Well yelling isn't going to help," Maka muttered.

Black Star growled, hands balling into fists. "Maka, I swear-"

" _Fighting_ won't help either," Kid scolded, cutting off the argument before it had a chance to really start. "What we need is water."

"No what we need is to get out of this damn desert and find our weapons," Black Star spit. "A god like me doesn't need water."

Maka was about to snap at him but a look from Kid made her bite her lip and settle on a frustrated groan instead.

Black Star set his gaze straight ahead, impatience boiling in his blood.

He needed to find Tsubaki. Period.

She was taken by witches, probably being experimented on or some shit. She was _taken_ from him. How could he have let that happen?

Black Star glanced at Maka and Kid.

How could any of themlet someone take their weapons?

His confidence began to waver under the harsh desert heat.

If he was so big, why couldn't he hold on to her? If he was so big, why did he lose her like Maka and Kid had lost their weapons too? If he was so big, why did he feel so dizzy and weak?

He imagined Tsubaki sitting somewhere all alone; scared, in pain and danger.

In his daydream Black Star failed to notice the slope downwards in the sand dunes. Already weak, his knees buckled when the ground gave way and went tumbling face first into the sand.

"Black Star!" Kid exclaimed. He and Maka skidded down the slope.

Black Star pushed himself onto his hands and knees, coughing and wheezing.

"Are you okay?" Maka asked. She reached her hand down.

Black Star hung his head, arms beginning to shake.

"Black Star…?" Maka asked again.

How pathetic. How could he surpass god like this? Hell, how could he show his face to his friends like this? To Tsubaki?

Kid grabbed the assassin under his arms and hoisted him to his feet. "C'mon let's-"

"Don't touch me," Black Star growled. He wrenched his arms out of Kid's supporting hold and stormed forward. "A god like me doesn't need help from someone small like you."

"What is your _problem_?" Maka exclaimed. She stood in front of the assassin, hands on her hips.

"My _problem_ is that we're in the middle of a fucking desert," Black Star snapped, " _without our weapons_."

He shoved Maka aside and continued forward. "We need to find them. That's all that matters."

"Just drop it," he heard Kid murmur.

Things went downhill quickly after that; with the sun eating away at their bodies while frustration ate away at their sanity.

Much to Black Star's dismay, his body was failing him.

His throat felt like sandpaper and his skin was covered in blisters and burns. Unknown to his friends the world was spinning and he'd started to see double a few hundred steps back.

He scrubbed his face with his palms and blinked, trying to correct his vision.

Instead, something shiny caught his eye in the distance.

Death City?

"Hey, guys," he rasped, "is that… Look! It's Death City!"

"What?" Maka shielded her eyes. "Where?"

"Right there!" Black Star exclaimed, pointing frantically at the horizon. "It's Death City! I can see the goddamn _academy_!"

"Guys, I don't think that's-"

"Oh thank death," Maka moaned.

"And Tsubaki! Oh man she's okay!" Black Star cried. "She made it home! She's okay!"

"Black Star, Maka, wait!" Kid called after him.

Too late. The two meisters took off towards the mirage, feet kicking up sand their friend's face.

Black Star's feet hammered in the sand, mind reeling.

He _knew_ they weren't going to die. Big guys like him never died from something as pathetic as this.

No matter how bad his body was hurting or his lungs were burning, Black Star kept running, ignoring Kid's pleads to stop.

 _I'm coming, Tsubaki_.


	7. The Devils of Brooklyn

Liz lost count of how many times someone was taken.

Tsubaki, then Soul, Patty, herself, Soul, Tsubaki, Soul, and on and on. There was no way of telling what time it was, how long they'd been down there.

They were handcuffed after the first time they took Tsubaki. Each of them were positioned just far enough that they couldn't reach each other, so even if one of them transformed, they couldn't do anything. They'd just be a piece of metal lying on the ground wrapped in chains.

Meisterless.

The door to their cell opened. The men brought in Soul, unconscious in their arms, and re-cuffed him in between Liz and her sister. They seemed to favor him and Tsubaki mostly.

Said chain scythe was still passed out from her most recent 'draining' on Liz's left.

Liz glanced at Soul and Tsubaki. They'd been put through at least twice as many drainings, looking so much worse than Patty or herself. A shiver of guilt crept up her spine.

"I don't know how much more they can take," Liz whispered when the door closed.

Patty didn't answer.

She thought about how much they probably missed their meisters. Soul had been so scared when he first woke up, only able to focus on Maka and what'd happened to her.

Liz sure missed Kid.

"It's been awhile since they've taken us," Patty said. "If they keep taking Soul and Tsubaki they're going to end up killing them."

Liz looked across the room at her sister. Since their capture, Patty had turned unusually emotionless, voice barely changing tone or pitch. Liz remembered this version of Patty a little too well. She'd learned it back before they came to the DWMA. It was her defense mechanism, her way of keeping herself safe.

Anger and frustration seeped into Liz's veins. _She_ was supposed to be keeping Patty safe. So much of her childhood was already taken from her, she shouldn't have to deal with this.

Liz flexed her fingers behind her back, straining against the cold metal that dug into her wrists. If only they could get rid of these cuffs…

Their restraints furthered their separation from each other. It was already painful enough to be without their meisters, but now they didn't even have the comfort of their friends. She couldn't even hug her sister.

Alone. Alone. _Alone._

What if she never saw Kid again?

The thought made Liz's chest ache. Though in the beginning Liz had only seen her meister as a way to keep a roof over her sister's head and food in her stomach, the quirky shinigami had, unfortunately, grown on her.

A lot.

She liked the way he brushed the strands of hair out of her face like it was normal. She liked the way he came down the stairs in the morning, hair ruffled, nightwear loose around his slender body showing glimpses of razor sharp collar and hipbones.

Liz liked the way he could make Patty smile, and she liked the way he could make _her_ feel.

Something cold wet her knees and Liz realized she was crying.

* * *

Patty was the youngest, and sure, she liked to goof off and she never took things too seriously, but Patty Thompson was not stupid.

Lady Darcy was late. At least fifteen minutes had gone by since the draining was over. The henchmen should've come to bring her back to the holding cell by now.

But ten extra minutes was enough for Patty to gather up what little strength she had left, roll shakily onto her hands and knees, and adjust her vision to get a good look of her surroundings.

There was a small window on one of the cell walls, a glass rectangle among the black stone, quite out of place. She hadn't noticed that before.

Gritting her teeth, Patty crawled over to the wall and muscled herself onto her feet. When she managed to stand, clinging to the thin window ledge, she was out of breath and her knees threatened to buckle.

Ever so carefully, she peered into blinding light.

A circle of witches were gathered around a large table. Sitting at the head, Lady Darcy was fuming.

"What do you _mean_ you were wrong?!" she demanded, glaring at her subordinates seated across from her.

"We… underestimated the amount of power held in their souls," one of the witches squeaked. "The harvest tanks are almost full and the subjects' soul energy levels are only at half."

Lady Darcy slammed her hand on the table. The others flinched.

"Well then _figure. Something. Out_ ," she hissed. "If we let the weapons go they'll return to the academy and report us. There's probably already a search team out so we have to move fast! _Got it?!_ Get the soul energy. Get out."

"We could just kill them."

"And waste all of that power?" Lady Darcy practically shrieked. " _Unacceptable._ Do you not understand how special these four are? The harvest tanks are already full and they're still _conscious_. The power they hold is _twice_ that of what we thought. Imagine, the magic we could do with all of that."

Feeling her own energy sputter, Patty sunk to the ground and tried to straighten out the random bits of information she'd gotten.

The witches were holding them in some sort of castle; definitely on the smaller side. The trips to the draining room were never very long, and from what she saw there weren't many other hallways leading elsewhere.

There was probably only one draining room because there was a shit ton of blood on the ground that couldn't possibly have been all from her, plus and remembered Tsubaki coming back with a head wound. Head wounds always bleed a lot.

Assuming they could get past the henchmen and the witches it would be a fairly easy escape. She imagined the castle wasn't any bigger than Gallows Mansion.

Her _home_. Patty clenched her teeth.

Patty curled up on the ground, exhaustion catching up with her. When the henchmen finally came to get her she was almost thankful that someone else was carrying her weight.

Back in the cell her chest ached.

Soul and Tsubaki were dying. Slowly. In front of her eyes. Her sister was crying. And the meisters were… anywhere, really. Anywhere but there with them.

Maybe it was finally her turn be the hero. She almost smiled when she thought about how Black Star would've thrown a fit about it because only _he_ could be the hero.

Patty tugged at the chains holding her against the wall. She just wanted to hug her sister. Was that too much to ask for?

She rolled her foot over a loose rock on the ground, sadness and loneliness eating away at her soul like a disease.


	8. The Shinigami

Kid woke up to the smell of antiseptic and the monotonous beep of a heart monitor. His clothes had been replaced with a scratchy gown and the blood and dust had been washed from his body.

Kid wheezed, trying to make words, but his throat was dry. He swallowed thickly, tasting sand and dust.

"Stein! Stein, he's awake! Hurry!" a woman's voice said.

Soft hands lifted his head and put a plastic cup of water to his lips.

His first instinct, when he saw the long blonde hair, was Liz. His heart sunk like an anchor when he realized it wasn't his weapon's voice that was coaxing him to drink.

"Uunggh. What happened?" Kid groaned.

There was the sound of wheels on tile as Professor Stein rolled up to his bedside on his office chair. "You three passed out in the middle of the desert," he said. "Lucky we found you when we did. Any longer out there and I might not have been able to do anything."

"Did you find Liz and Patty?" Kid asked, wincing as he pushed himself upright. "The other weapons?"

Stein and Marie exchanged glances.

"No. We haven't," Marie said softly. "But we have search teams looking _everywhere_. I promise we'll find them."

Kid shook his head, hands clenching the bedsheets. "By the time they find them it will be too late," he said. "We need to go."

Stein nodded, resting his hands and chin on the back rest of his chair. "You heal faster than your friends, Kid. It will take them a little longer to wake up." The professor nodded to the other beds in the room.

Maka was on his right and Black Star on his left. Both of them had been washed off, clothed in fresh gowns, and hooked up to so many IVs that if they moved they might take the machines with them.

"How long?" Kid asked.

Stein shrugged. "A few hours maybe?" He paused, expression darkening. "Depends on how strong they can be without having their weapons' wavelengths nearby."

Marie placed her hand on his shoulder, guiding him to lie back down. "Rest, Kid," she told him. "Their anesthesia should wear off by tomorrow. Until then get your strength back."

"But-"

" _Rest._ "

Stein nodded in agreement over her shoulder.

Kid gritted his teeth, grudgingly letting the older weapon settle him back down. As they left the room Marie gave him a small wave before the door shut between them.

Kid sighed and dragged his hands down his face, mind racing a million miles an hour.

Was anyone else taken? Was the school safe? How many people did they send out to search for the weapons? How long was he gone?

 _The medicine bottles on the cabinets in front of him were spaced unevenly._

Were Maka and Black Star going to be okay? What about the other weapons? What about Liz and Patty?

 _The ceiling was dotted at random with tiny flecks of black on white._

Were his friends even _alive?_

 _Fucking death was anything symmetrical in this room?!_

Kid's twitched. The room suddenly felt ten degrees hotter. Kid held his head in his hands, near the point of hyperventilating.

Guilt. Shame. Disappointment. His father sacrificed himself in the battle with the kishin. For what? For Kid to let his friends die scared and alone in some horrible unimaginable way? For him to let down everyone that was counting on him: his friends, the academy, _Liz and Patty_.

 _There was an IV in his right arm, only bandages on his left._

"Kid?" Maka's raspy voice came from his right.

He barely heard her.

That night in the basement he'd fallen asleep with Patty curled up at his feet. Right before the lights went out she'd smiled and told him how happy she was.

" _Hey Kiddo, I'm happy all of us are friends. Tonight was a lot of fun!"_

It was a simple thing. But Kid remembered, when he first met the two sisters, the twisted smirk Patty used to cover up her insecurities. Though to others she may have seemed like a loose canon, Kid quickly saw her pattern.

The violent outbursts meant she was scared.

The harsh taunts meant she was sad.

The latter happened most often.

Kid sat up and crossed his arms over his chest, raking his nails down his arms.

Everything was so out of place. Nothing was where it belonged. It made him feel like he was floating in space with no solid ground to stand on and nothing to keep him steady and comforted and he wanted to crawl out of his skin and everything was just so _wrong._

Kid's hands ached to feel the calming feeling of his weapons' cool metal palms. Everything around him felt so lonely and empty, yet at the same time the air around him was smothering.

With trembling fingers Kid ripped out his IV.

"Oh my god, Kid what are you doing?!" Maka exclaimed, monitor spiking.

Hot tears pricked in the corners of Kid's eyes. He was a Shinigami, damn it, but he couldn't even keep his friends safe let alone hold on to his own damn _weapons._

The anxiety boiled in his gut, in his neck, in his lungs.

"Kid, _stop!_ " Maka yelled. She tried to get out of bed but the tangle of wires and IVs stopped her. "It's okay," she tried, "please calm down, you're going to hurt yourself."

Kid shook his head, tears now flowing freely as he frantically clawed at the bandages on his arm.

And Liz. Oh Liz.

She'd grabbed his hand that night. And when they fell asleep her lips were so close to his neck and in each other's arms it felt _right._

 _This,_ half of his friends incapacitated and the other half _missing_ was not right.

Unlike her sister, Liz covered things up in a more subtle way.

As big sister she was used to hiding her weaknesses behind closed doors and smothered in tear stained pillows. It took a little longer for Kid to figure her out.

While he knew what to do when Patty was scared (turn on all the pretty bright lights in Gallows Mansion so the Death God's house didn't look so eerie) or sad (sit on the couch and watch cartoons with her until she laughed, and if that didn't work then put her to bed with nice smelling candles and a mountain of fuzzy blankets with a nice breakfast waiting the next morning) he and Liz spent most of their first year together working in tense exchanges, only because they both loved the same person.

It wasn't until Kid went downstairs in the middle of the night and found Liz in silent tears on the couch that he started to learn.

Liz was scared too.

She was scared of ghosts and monsters. She was scared of big dogs because when she was younger a stray bit her leg. She was scared of losing Patty.

In the early years of their partnership Kid quickly came to learn that his weapons were more than just objects. They were people.

And soon, though he didn't know it when he found them on the streets, they would become his most treasured people in the world.

He couldn't lose them.

There was so much out of his control, so much out of order and out of line and it was sending his nervous system off the edge.

Maka's tiny hand reached over and grabbed onto the sleeve of his gown. "Kid, please," she begged. "It's okay. We're going to be okay."

Blood stained bandages fluttered to the ground, pooling in the saline that leaked from his already discarded IV.

"Holy fuck, what's happening to him?" Black Star wheezed from his left.

Maka screamed for Dr. Stein.


	9. The Last Death Scythe

The first time they took him Soul snarled at the men, spitting at their feet and cursing them out until they threw him to the ground of the harvest chamber.

It'd been more than ten already. More than ten times they'd drained his energy, only leaving just enough to keep him alive, and waited for him to regain it so they could do it again. And even then, he was never able to _fully_ recover.

The eleventh time he barely had the strength left to open his eyes.

They threw him on the ground and he landed in a crumpled heap, exhausted beyond his limits. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold on.

The door opened and the witch with purple hair - Darcy - walked in.

"Death Scythe Soul Eater Evans," she mused, crouching down in front of the weapon. "I have to say, I'm impressed you've been able to hold out after so many drainings."

"Fuck off," Soul rasped, voice barely a whisper. "What… Maka… where is… Maka..."

She chuckled. "No need to worry about her, my dear." She pulled a syringe out of her cloak. "You'll see her soon."

The needle sunk into Soul's neck. He didn't even scream.

* * *

Maka's lips parted. Her breath ghosted across Soul's skin as he held himself up on his elbows, staring down at his gorgeous meister lying on his bed underneath him.

Soul leaned down, pressing a light kiss on her lips. "You're beautiful," he told her.

Maka shivered, fingers curling into his bed sheets.

He kissed her again. She was warm and sweet and very convincingly _real._ Their bodies pressed together, molding against each other like clay.

It was scary, how good the black blood was. It did an immaculate job of recreating her through his memories. Her hair was the same ashen blonde that he always loved running his fingers through, her eyes burned green like they always did. She was _Maka._ His meister. His first love before he even knew what love was.

"Do you love me, Soul?" Maka whispered into his ear, sending shivers down to his toes.

His heart hammered in his chest.

He wanted to say it back, preach to the sky that "yes, of course I love you, Maka. I've always loved you," but the words stuck in the back of his throat. Oh _god_ did he want to say it back.

But Soul knew that question. She asked it every time.

It always started with those words; "Do you love me, Soul?" and something awful would happen and he would scream and cry and wish he had stopped it before it started.

But no matter how many times they took him to the draining chamber, no matter how many times the dreams ended in horror, he would never find it in himself to push away his meister.

Soul would never be able to say no. Not to her.

"Do you love me, Soul?" she asked again.

"Yes," he rasped, body beginning to shake. "I love you, Maka."

He couldn't lie about what he knew in his soul was true.

Maka reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, twirling the stark white around her pinky. "Too bad," she said. "Wes has much nicer hair."

Fuck. This was it.

"What?" Soul stammered. "What do you mean I-"

She put her hands on his chest and pushed him off. "I mean, you're cool I guess, but Wes just has his life together, ya know? Like, I feel like I would be able to trust him."

The black blood suddenly came to a roaring boil.

Maka rolled off the bed with a deranged squeal. "What a LOSER!" She cackled, pointing as he stared at her, confused and hurt.

"Why would I ever love someone like _you_?" she taunted. "You're so lazy. All you do is hold me back."

"Maka, I-"

"If I had a better weapon I would've been able to make a Death Scythe _years_ before I did with you," she scoffed. "All those years _wasted_ on a loser like _you_."

"Maka-"

"You're _NOTHING_ ," she declared. "I took a chance on you because you were a scythe like my Papa. Hah! How naive was that?"

She broke into a giggle fit, lips split into a huge grin, bending backwards unnaturally far as she laughed. "Believe in _you_? Damn, was I stupid."

Those last seven words echoed in Soul's head, banging around his skull and strangling his heart.

Somewhere in the haziness of his brain Soul knew it was just the illusion from the draining. But it all felt so _real._ It _could've_ been real.

" _Believe in you? Damn, was I stupid."_


	10. The Grigori Soul

She probably looked ridiculous, stumbling through Death City in a hospital gown.

But screw that. Screw Professor Stein.

Soul was in trouble and Maka was absolutely not going to waste her time lying in bed waiting for someone else to save him.

Not knowing if Soul was okay… it was driving her to hysteria.

Kid's episode had freaked her out a little bit. As he'd grown up Kid was usually so composed. It scared her to see him so frantic. Stein had to sedate him before he injured himself, and even then he was mumbling nightmares in his sleep.

They were going to go crazy without their partners.

Maka hurriedly limped up the stairs to her apartment. Her whole body screamed at her to stop. She gritted her teeth, shoving the pain to the back of her mind and replacing it with brute stubbornness and determination.

She cursed loudly when she tripped going up the stairs and caught herself with her bad arm. Pain radiated through her bones, stealing the air from her lungs and turning her muscles to jelly.

Maka crawled the rest of the way up the steps, barely able to stand to unlock the door with the spare key under the mat.

As she stepped through the doorway a cold chill swept over her. The apartment felt so lifeless. Too quiet. Soul's half open door made her chest ache.

Maka limped to their closet where they kept their travel backpacks, arm clutched against her side. Her head was throbbing now.

C'mon, _focus._

Maka snatched a dark green backpack off its hook, chest tightening when the red one with the stupid 'Eater' patch caught her eye.

Choking back a small sob Maka forced herself to her feet.

She needed him to be okay. She needed him.

Maka frantically stumbled around the apartment, knocking over random stacks of books and dishes and fighting to keep herself upright on buckling knees as she packed.

She paused in the bathroom, hands shaking as she stared at the first-aid kit perched on Soul's side of the sink.

Maka was always too eager to remember the first-aid kit when they went on missions.

The world took a violent swing and Maka's head spun. Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees, legs splaying out to either side.

How long had it been since she'd seen her partner? A week maybe?

What if it was already too late?

Maka slammed her fist against the wall behind her. What a shitty meister. She couldn't even hold onto her weapon, let alone stand long enough pack.

Pathetic. Fucking _weak._

Maka closed her eyes, willing her Soul Sense to stretch as far as it would go. She wasn't sure of the exact limits of her ability. She'd managed to search the whole world when she was trying to find Crona, but that was with Soul's help.

Maka winced, pushing past Death City, past Nevada. "Soul…" her weapon's name ghosted through her quivering lips. "Where are you…"

Her soul strained under the added pressure.

 _Where are you._

Stabbing pain shot through her chest.

 _Where are you._

Maka grabbed her head, face scrunched up in agony. She stomped her feet on the ground, dug her nails into her scalp.

 _Where are you?_

Something snapped. Fireworks went off in Maka's body, setting her skin ablaze and ripping through her nerves.

She crumpled to the floor in a heap of gaunt limbs and battered skin, and the apartment was quiet again.

* * *

Strong arms lifted her off the bathroom floor. Maka thought it was Soul, thought she was dreaming.

"Soul, I'm... sorry," she whispered against smooth polyester. "I was trying… trying… find you..."

"Shh easy, Maka."

Reality hit her like a truck.

At first she had thought the unfamiliar fabric was from Soul's suit, that her dreams had taken her to the Black room.

But it wasn't him.

Maka gasped. Tears clouded her vision but she couldn't mistake the solemn golden eyes staring down at her.

"Kid," Maka whimpered. "I can't… I can't find him. I tried. I… I can't…"

The reaper nodded and gently put her down on her bed. "I know."

Kid and Black Star stood tall in front of her; newly clothed, arms crossed. Fire burned in their eyes.

Maka hung her head. She'd never felt so pathetic.

The bed creaked under Black Star's weight as he climbed up to sit next to her. "C'mon Maka, don't cry!" He reached forward and tipped her chin up. "We're going to find them! I promise. A god like me wouldn't let you down! Right, Kid?"

Kid nodded from her bedside. "I was able to find them with Black Star's help. This isn't over yet, Maka. Soul's still alive."

Maka's heart lurched.

"Here." Black Star tossed her a set of new clothes and her Spartoi coat. "Get dressed. We're going to Canada."


	11. The Weapons' Trial

Soul had been gone for a long time. Tsubaki started to fear he wasn't coming back.

She and the Thompsons sat like identical statues - haunting, broken, defeated statues. With the chains taut around their hands and feet the only comfortable position they could muster left them sitting criss crossed, hands behind their backs. It hurt their necks, sent cramps shooting through their legs, but lying down was physically impossible and standing had them hunched over.

The door swung open, letting in a draft of clammy, stale air.

Tsubaki's eyelashes fluttered, fighting to hold her head up as she watched the henchmen snap the cuffs around Soul's raw ankles and wrists. He was unconscious, slumping over onto his side.

Tsubaki tried pathetically to pull out of her own chains, a meek tug that barely moved her heavy restraints.

"Soul," she rasped. Razors slid down her throat.

"Don't strain yourself," Liz whispered. She had her head rested against the wall, looking down through barely open eyes.

Tsubaki tugged at her chains again. "But… but…" She pulled a little harder. "Oh my god, Liz. _Look_ at him."

His face was gaunt, cheekbones too pronounced and eyes circled in dark purple. His ankle was swollen and a patch of his hair had been ripped out. There wasn't an inch on his body that wasn't marked with either a bruise, scratch, or dirt.

Soul wasn't going to last much longer.

How much longer would they continue to torture her friends? Tsubaki yanked her hands to the side, tears beginning to stream down her stained cheeks.

The tiniest groan came from Soul.

"Soul." Tsubaki lurched forward. "Are you okay?"

He coughed and wheezed. "Man, I feel like shit." He struggled to sit up, trying to push himself up on his elbows but giving up when his arms began to shake. "Fuck. I… I don't think I can take much more."

Liz tensed. "What?"

"Fucking witch keeps choosing me," Soul rasped. "It's getting hard to… to breathe."

"No. Soul, _no_." Tsubaki strained against the chains. "You can't give up. What about Maka?"

Soul chuckled, still crumpled on the ground. "Oh yeah… Maka," he mused. His brow furrowed. "You need to... tell her something for me."

Patty stomped her foot on the ground, sending sharp echoes that made everyone wince. " _Hey._ Listen, buddy," she snapped. "We are not going to tell Maka _anything_ because you are _not_ dying, got it? So quit it with that shitty attitude." Her eyes were burning with terrifying sternness. "You're going to be _fine_. Maka's waiting. Get off your ass.""

Soul shook his head. "Tell Maka… tell her…" Soul pressed his face against the ground, struggling to find the right words. "Just… Damn it."

"Soul," Liz interrupted softly, "we know."

Silence blanketed the small cell.

"No!" Tsubaki suddenly yelled. "Please don't give up, Soul. You can't. Tell Maka yourself." She thrashed her arms against the restraints, skin tearing under the metal.

"Hey cut it out," Liz rasped sharply. "You're hurting yourself."

Tsubaki paused. She was hunched over on her knees, breathing heavily as her tears dripped onto the ground. Her friends were literally dying in front of her eyes, slowly drained of their life until they no longer had the energy to breathe.

And to think they might never see their meisters again.

It was tearing her soul apart.

Tsubaki squeezed her eyes shut, the pain from the cuffs making her hands shake. If only there was a way one of them could get their hands free.

If only…

Tsubaki _did_ know of one way. The thought crossed her mind the first time the henchmen put them in their new restraints, but fear had held her back.

The idea again gnawed at her brain. If she did it, it could set them free. But it would be at the cost of her body. Her fingers flexed with anxiety.

"She has to know," came Soul's voice.

The idea was a risky one. A stupid one. But it would work. For Soul's sake, it _had_ to work.

Tsubaki almost smiled. Her meister would approve.

She opened her eyes, breathing slowing. Her hands tightened into fists one last time before she willed them to relax. "This isn't over yet," she whispered.

"Heh. You're right," Patty chuckled, hands raking through her messy blonde hair. "We're not dead, _yet._ "

Tsubaki shook her head, expression hardened with determination. "No. We're getting out of here."

With a fierce cry she threw her weight forward and wrenched her hands free of the cuffs.

The others gasped.

"Oh my god…" Liz's eyes were blown wide.

"Tsubaki," Soul breathed, "your hands."

Crimson dripped onto the ground from the weapon's fingertips, skin scraped bloody and bones crushed. "It doesn't matter," she told him through clenched teeth.

But _oh god_ did it hurt. She doubled over, pressing her elbows into her stomach and biting her lip in attempt to nullify the pain radiating up her arms.

Soul started to struggle. "Jesus fucking christ are you-"

"Don't move," Tsubaki cut in. She managed to straighten herself and block out the worst of the pain. "You're going to hurt yourself. I've got it."

She transformed the end of her ponytail, thick black locks coming into the chain of her Kusarigama. Now able to reach up, she took the blade gingerly in her broken hand and sliced the chains holding her legs.

The cuffs still around her ankles clinked against the stone ground while as she stood. "We have people to get back to," she said, motioning to Soul with her chin. "Move."

Soul, looking slightly terrified, did his best to scoot to the side so she could cut the chains holding him to the wall. She did Liz's next, then Patty's.

Liz limped up to Tsubaki, gently reaching out to examine her mangled hands. "I can't believe you did that."

Tsubaki smiled weakly. Adrenaline was waning and the pain was starting to come back.

Patty whooped, mouth splitting into a wide grin. "You got it, Tsubaki. Let's get outta here and kick these witches' asses."

Tsubaki smiled gratefully, turning to Soul.

Still sitting the white haired demon weapon smiled to the ground, then chuckled and looked up with a smirk. "Not bad," he said. "Black Star would be proud."

Tsubaki beamed. "Let's go home."

Soul put his hand on her shoulder, completing the circle. A shaky chain resonance formed between the weapons.

Their souls hummed with newfound power, pulsing in time with Tsubaki's heartbeat.


	12. The Meisters' Resolve

They managed to get a last minute flight to the Yukon Territory of North West Canada. Kid made the flight reservations while Black Star distracted Stein and Marie.

The three meisters damn near trampled over a family of five on their way to the terminal. In retrospect they should've taken a private jet. Coach was not cutting it.

Maka sat in the middle of their row, knee bouncing in anticipation. Her coat was too stuffy. The crying baby in the back was too loud. The flight attendants were too slow.

Only Kid was able to hold his composure - though barely. Black Star was a second away from commandeering the plane himself.

After a torturous 5 hours they set off on foot. According to Kid they were _somewhere_ in the forest. The dense, pathless, _huge_ Canadian forest. Maka and Black Star were ready to explode.

They would've kept going for the whole night; but Kid and Maka's constant Soul Search radar was taking a toll on their bodies and despite the fact that Black Star insisted that he was okay, his lips were starting to match his hair.

"This is stupid," Black Star muttered grudgingly while he and Maka dug out a pit of snow to shield them from the wind.

"I know but Kid's right. If we keep going we're gonna pass out… Again," she murmured behind her scarf. "Like the desert except it will be too late for our weapons and we'll freeze to death before someone comes looking."

"A god like me wouldn't freeze to death."

Maka narrowed her eyes. "Look. I hate it as much as you do. Just keep digging."

Black Star grumbled, but did as she said.

Half an hour and a tiny twig fire later, the meisters huddled together in the small half-igloo. It was just big enough for the three of them, a carved out pod in the snow with a wall to break the wind. Kid and Black Star sandwiched Maka on either side.

"You're a twig, Maka, you're going to get cold."

She would've jabbed him in the ribs had it not been for the last part. As obnoxious as he was, she just didn't have it in her to argue anymore, especially when he meant well… In his own annoying way.

Maka tipped her head back, staring longingly at the deep blue sky. Her breath made small puffs of steam as she sighed. The adrenaline was finally running low and a huge wave of exhaustion had slammed her in the face.

"I'm going to find her," Black Star declared after a while of silence. He slouched against his icy backrest, hands cushioning his head. "I have to find her."

Kid crossed his arms across his chest, humming in acknowledgement.

"I'm going to find her," Black Star repeated, this time softer and with less of his usual bravado. Matching Maka's pose, he looked up at the murky clouds.

Maka exhaled. "Black Star…"

"I _need_ to find her. I need _her._ "

His words echoed against the frosty trees, whistling through the forest. The fire helped, but it did little against the frigid wind.

Maka shivered and shrank down into her coat as best she could.

Black Star's voice came again. "Do you think she's been thinking about me?"

Maka smiled sadly beneath her scarf. "Of course."

"...I really miss her."

"I know."

For a brief second he and Maka made eye contact.

"Bet Soul's missing you too."

Maka quickly looked away, feeling her skin tingle while tears brimmed in her eyes. Just _hearing_ his name hurt.

"He's probably given up on me by now," she murmured into her sleeve.

"Wha? Pssh. That's bullshit," Black Star scoffed. "The poor guy would kill a man just for a kiss on the cheek." He chuckled softly, gaze returning to the sky. "You're into him too, huh?"

Maka glared at him. "It's not like that."

"Oh _c'mon_ I've seen -"

"Black Star. _No._ "

"You two practically -"

" _Black Star, shut up_!" Maka screeched.

Kid's gaze flickered over to them. Black Star blinked. "Uhm."

Maka pulled her scarf over her face and choked back a sob. "It's not like that," she repeated, "just ' _into him.'_ " She sniffled and gave Black Star an angry slap on the chest. "It's more than that, stupid."

"So… do you guys _not_ want to bang each other?"

Her cheeks burned in the cold. "Shut up."

Kid hummed softly. "Calm down, you two. Get some sleep. We'll find them in the morning."

Black Star huffed, still annoyed that they had to stop for the night, but complied and shifted into a more comfortable position. He took one last look at the sky before closing his eyes. The assassin was out within seconds, his snores rumbling gently underneath the hat he'd pulled over his face.

Maka felt Kid shift on her left.

"Maka?" His hand rested lightly over hers.

"...what."

"I'm sorry."

"For what."

"Nothing. Everything. I… just. I understand," Kid told her, "what it's like to love someone so much that it hurts." He sighed heavily and a weary smile crossed his lips. "What it's like to love your weapon."

Maka peeked up from her scarf, eyes glistening in the silvery moonlight.

"Liz," he said, smiling growing.

"You want to be with her?"

"Mmm." Kid nodded but blushed and averted his gaze to the fire. "All the time. Even if we're not doing anything I want to be with her. I want to share my life with her. I need her. But most importantly, I want her to be happy, over anything else in the world." He turned back to Maka. "That's what love is, isn't it?"

A tear rolled down Maka's cheek.

* * *

 _Soul put his hand on her shoulder, completing the circle. A shaky chain resonance formed between the weapons._

 _Their souls hummed with newfound power, pulsing in time with Tsubaki's heartbeat._

* * *

Electricity exploded in Maka's soul and shot through her body. Fire ripped through her veins and bombs went off behind her eyes. Maka lurched forward, hand clutching her chest as the sharp shocks continued.

Kid felt it too - whatever it was. He doubled over and broke into a coughing fit.

Black Star slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes in confusion. "Fnnnmuh… What's going on, you guys?"

Maka wheezed. "Something… Not right."

"Damn, what is this?" Kid rasped, body heaving. "It feels like something in my soul was rearranged."

Realization felt like liquid nitrogen poured into her blood. "Soul," Maka gasped. "Soul, the weapons, something must've _happened_ to them." She scrambled to her feet, kicking up snow and discarded leaves and branches. "C'MON WE HAVE TO GO!"

Black Star cursed, already on his feet. "Let's go, Kid, you heard her!" He hoisted his still recovering friend off the ground and practically dragged him through the snow.

"Maka where are you going?" Kid called after her.

Maka put her head down, biting her lip against the ache in her muscles, the pain in her still healing injuries. She didn't stop to answer Kid, didn't stop to catch her breath or find her missing glove because something _happened_ to Soul and she was seeing tunnel vision.

She lost him once, had him literally ripped from her hands as her arm snapped like a twig. After Kid and Black Star found him - and the other weapons - again in Canada, she was determined not to let him slip from her grasp again.

Maka stumbled over fallen trees and protruding rocks. She sliced open her bare hand on a branch she didn't see and almost broke her nose after a slip on ice, but no matter what she kept her eyes forward and her legs moving.

A tiny root was her downfall. It snagged her boot and sent her careening through the air, landing face first in the snow.

Maka lay there panting, crying, fighting to get back up but too frantic - and frankly, too exhausted - to do much.

Kid and Black Star caught up to her within a minute.

"Damn… Maka…" Black Star panted. "Didn't you… hear us…?"

"Nnnngghhh."

"You passed a town… few hundred meters back," Kid told her. "Might be able to help us."

When she didn't move Black Star grabbed her by the arms and hoisted her on his back. "C'mon, Maka. Don't tell me you're giving up now."

She mumbled against his shoulder.

Black Star grinned. "Let's go find our friends. Okay?"

"Okay."

It was still dark out, barely past midnight. Black Star and Kid kept a steady jog into the small town, coming to a brisk walk as they circled the tiny cabins on the outskirts.

"Look." Maka reached over Black Star's shoulder, still in piggy-back mode, and pointed. "We could use those."

"You mean steal them?" Kid whispered unsurely.

Two shiny black snowmobiles were chained against one of the cabins. Maka eyed them eagerly. The chains looked thin enough. Maybe if Black Star used his soul force he would be able to break them. Another thought crossed her mind - Black Star's ego, sometimes annoyingly valid - that made her roll her eyes.

As if he had the same thought, Black Star suddenly shot forward - Maka still on his back. He took the chains between his fingers and snapped them like they were made of styrofoam.

Black Star slid onto the first one and Maka linked her fingers around his waist. The knife in her heart twisted, memories of her and Soul on his motorcycle flooding her head.

"That one's yours," Black Star said to Kid. He motioned with his chin and revved the engine.

"Hey someone's going to hear us!" Maka hissed.

Black Star chuckled. "S'ok. We'll be gone by then." He glanced back at her with a smirk. "Better hold on tight."

Snow exploded from the wheels as Black Star floored the gas pedal. Kid followed suit on his own.

As Maka clung to her friend's back something odd filled her veins, something she hadn't felt in a long time.

Hope.

Maka squeezed her eyes shut and focused on her soul perception, willing it with everything she had left.

She and Black Star light up in a bright glow as the assassin lent his assistance. The connection was shaky, both of their souls anxious and head strong, barreling towards their goal without hesitance, but the added presence gave Maka strength.

Kid joined in too, adding to the roaring chain resonance as they raced through the dark.

"Take the lead, Maka," Kid's voice encouraged.

Maka nodded, focus zeroing on one thing and one thing only.

"I'm not letting you go this time. I promise"


	13. The Battle Plan

"Are you sure it's going to work?" Soul questioned for the twentieth time. "What if it doesn't?"

Liz sighed. "We can't back out now, Soul," she reminded him. "Just stick to the plan."

"Yea. The plan to get us blown up," the death scythe muttered under his breath. "Right."

The four of them crept down the damp hallways of the castle: Patty in the lead, then Soul, and Liz and Tsubaki bringing up the rear. The plan was fairly simple. Patty proposed they blow up the draining machine - literally _blast_ their way out of the castle.

Tsubaki agreed it was their only option.

Liz was down.

It was a good plan. A risky one. A ballsy one that only Patty or Black Star would come up with. But it was a good plan. It would work.

They'd already left three unconscious henchmen behind in their cell, attacked when they came in to retrieve their next victim - most likely one of the Thompsons judging by their pattern.

Their next step was the witches chamber.

"But what if we're too close to the blast?" Soul pestered.

" _Soul_ ," Patty hissed viciously. Liz thought she was going to punch him.

They kept walking, having to rely on their blindfolded memory and distant hum of the draining machine to navigate.

"Look," Patty whispered, dragging her fingers across the walls as they went. "I found a window. The witches' chamber is right next to the draining room. If we hit the witches, big sis and I can shoot through the window and blast us out of here without being too close. _Capiche_?"

"No. _No,_ Patty," Soul snapped. "No cappy-shit-whatever-you-said. It's not that simple."

"You got a better plan?"

"..."

"Exactly. Now _shh._ We're almost there."

Liz readjusted her grip on Tsubaki's arm slung over her shoulders. "You hanging in there?" she whispered.

Tsubaki gave a small nod, but her footsteps were starting to falter. They'd tried to wrap her hands as best they could with fabric from her dress, but the makeshift bandages were already soaked crimson.

Patty held out her hand, turning around with a finger pressed against her lips. "Look," she mouthed. Her free hand pointed up at a small staircase.

With another hand signal she motioned for them to wait. Soul shifted nervously but nodded. Liz made eye contact with her sister.

 _Be safe._

Patty smiled, this time softly and it made Liz's chest clench.

"I love you," she mouthed.

The younger Thompson gave her sister a thumbs up. "Love you too, big sis," she breathed before disappearing up the stairs.

Minutes passed. Tsubaki seemed on her last straw of energy - judging by the amount of her weight Liz now had to shoulder. Soul looked like he was ready to crawl out of his skin - or punch the wall, maybe both.

Just as Liz was about to hand Tsubaki off to Soul to go check on her, Patty returned.

"It leads to a catwalk or something," she whispered excitedly. Grinning, she made fists and held them up to her face. "We'll attack from there. It's frickin perfect."

Liz nodded. "Sounds good. Soul," she removed Tsubaki's arm from around her shoulders, "here, keep her safe and wait. Patty and I will take care of the witches."

"But…" His hands fumbled with Tsubaki's limp figure.

"It will work, Soul," Liz said firmly. "Trust us on this one, okay?"

"Liz wait, I-"

* * *

 _Maka squeezed her eyes shut and focused on her soul perception, willing it with everything she had left._

 _She and Black Star illuminated in a bright glow as the assassin lended his assistance. The connection was shaky, both of their souls anxious and head strong, barreling towards their goal without hesitance, but the added presence gave Maka strength._

 _Kid joined in too, adding to the roaring chain resonance as they raced through the dark._

* * *

Soul froze.

"What?" Liz prodded. "Soul? You _what_?"

Soul's eyes were like saucers as he slowly brought his hand to his chest. "Oh my god…"

"C'mon we don't have all day," Patty said, snapping her fingers.

"I felt…" Soul breathed. "I felt something just now. It was like… like a pull at my soul… like…" His hand dropped. "Holy shit. _Maka_."

"What the hell are you talking about," Liz hissed.

"Maka," he repeated. "It felt like… She's… Shit. Holy shit. She's _here_."

"You don't know that, Soul," Liz argued in a hurried whisper. "You don't have her or Kid's soul perception, okay, and we can't keep arguing either or we'll get caught so just _stick to the plan_. Wait here with Tsubaki."

"No I'm serious," Soul insisted pulled Tsubaki's arm over his shoulders. "I felt her. She's here. Or at least, she's close."

Liz held his gaze. "Are you sure."

Soul looked her straight in the eye, red eyes burning in the dim light. "Positive."

The older Thompson held his gaze.

"Liz, if the blast goes off and she's too close it will kill her," Soul said evenly. "Kid and Black Star too if they're together. I can't take that chance."

Precious seconds passed.

"Fine," Liz relented. "Fine. Get them away from the castle. Patty and I will handle things in here." In a flash of pink she transformed and landed securely in her sister's hand.

"What?" Soul squawked. "Whoa, whoa, whoa hold up, _not_ what I meant at all. We should wait and see what happens. If the meisters are on their way then there's no need to blow up the machine."

"Soul, we don't have time," Liz's metallic voice said from the pistol. "Plus, what do you expect them to do? Fight without weapons? Black Star and Kid are the only ones who can do that, or at least try." Her face appeared on the side of the barrel. "What do you think is going to happen to Maka if we wait."

Soul's fingers tangled in his hair. "If we don't she - _they_ \- might be caught in the explosion. You wanna chance killing our meisters?"

"No," Patty cut in. "Which is why you two are going to leave without us."

"Are you fucking _nuts_?"

Patty smirked and gave her sister a twirl on her finger before securing her in the belt of her tattered shorts. "Nah. Sneak out while we keep 'em busy. Get the meisters to safety. Big sis and I can handle shooting through a stupid window ourselves."

"We can do it, Soul," Liz assured him firmly. "Just get the meisters to safety."

"But-"

"Make sure Kid is okay."

"But-"

Patty turned to head up the staircase. Looking over her shoulder she nodded. "See you guys soon, okay?

Soul's jaw clenched, teeth grinding as he agonized over the decision. He stared at the Thompsons with pain filled eyes, holding on dearly to Tsubaki's wrist.

"Go," Liz urged softly.

Soul hung his head. "Fine," he relented. Securing his hold on Tsubaki took a deep breath nodded. "See you soon."

Patty grinned and darted up the stairs.

"Soul…" Tsubaki breathed. "Where… are they…"

Soul leaded against the walls and tried his best to steady his shaking hands. "They're going to get us out of here," he told her. "You're gonna get to see Black Star soon, I promise."

Tsubaki nodded, head lolling against his shoulder.

"Hey, Tsubaki?" Soul whispered. "I need to tell you something."

The chain scythe whimpered in response, barely audible.

"We - I - owe you one," Soul told her, "ya know, for your hands. You only did it because I got all sappy and tried to ask you to tell Maka… something. You didn't have to do that."

Soul stared up at the tall dark ceiling. Patty's silhouette was just barely visible in the dim glow from the witches' chamber.

"Hey, Soul?" Tsubaki rasped. "I need to tell _you_ something."

"Mm?"

"We're gonna get through this. I know we can."

Soul looked down at his friend. She was so weak she could barely stay awake. Soul was practically carrying her.

"A lot of people say meisters and weapons aren't meant to be separated," she went on. Her eyelashes fluttered heavily. "That neither can fight without the other. Professor Stein always says meisters and weapons show their true strength when they're together. But... I don't think that's completely true."

"Yeah?" Soul hummed.

"I think... a meister or weapon's true strength is shown by what they do when… when they're forced to be _without_ their partner." Her knees buckled and Soul now supported her full weight. "When we're apart we discover the strength within ourselves… what we're willing to do… what we're capable of… how much we want to get back to each other."

"I'm not following."

"Loving someone makes you stronger than you realize," Tsubaki whispered. "Loving someone…"

A shiver crawled up Soul's spine. "Loving someone, huh?" he mused aloud.

He was sure he loved Maka. In more ways than one. There wasn't anyone on earth who he could imagine loving more than her.

But then why did he feel so weak?

Tsubaki got them out of the cell - broke both of her goddamn hands doing it. Liz and Patty were on a suicide mission to finish the job.

What had Soul done?

" _...stronger than you realize."_

Soul shifted his weight between his feet. This wasn't over yet. There was still one to do.

He took a quick survey of his body. Every muscle ached, his arms burned where the IVs went, it felt like someone had taken a hammer to his head, and Tsubaki was getting heavier by the second. Could he keep four people safe from an explosion?

He was going to have to.

"Stronger than I realize…" Soul repeated to himself. "Maybe so."

* * *

Patty counted five.

The witch with the green hair sat at the head of a table. Lady Darcy was on her left, explaining something with great excitement to the others. A lavish dinner had been laid out for them.

"Ready, big sis?"

Liz's face flashed on the side of the pistol, giving her sister a determined nod.

Patty swung her legs over the catwalk railing, feet dangling off a fifty foot drop. She let herself fall, sailing silently through the air for a few peaceful seconds before landing with a loud crash on the table. Dishes flew everywhere and the witches flinched from their seats.

Patty cracked a wicked grin, aiming her sister at Lady Darcy.

"Surprise, _motherfuckers_."


	14. The Panic

Words couldn't describe how satisfying it felt to see Lady Darcy fly through the air and crash against a wall of bookshelves.

Patty grinned as she continued to fire at the witches. She and Liz were weak from the drainings, but they managed to take down three on the first shot.

One more to go.

The one with the green hair - some sort of Owl witch - screeched and raised her hands in the air.

Patty felt a twinge of fear from her sister as huge wings materialized from the witch's back.

Through their link Patty urged her to stay focused.

"We don't need to beat all of them," Liz's voice said. "If we just explode the machine we could still get out of here."

Patty nodded. Although a part of her wanted to bury the witches six feet under, her sister and her friends' safety rose above her need for revenge. "I just need a better angle."

Something took her feet out from under her.

* * *

The frigid air hit Soul in a paralyzing shock. He inhaled sharply, fighting to keep his body moving against the sudden change in temperature.

"Fucking hell," he muttered.

Tsubaki shivered against his side.

Soul's stomach sank as he looked around. The castle was surrounded by dense forest. Thick layers of snow blanketed the ground and there was no sign of civilization, not even a trail.

Hopelessness filled Soul's lungs. Maka's wavelength seemed a lot less clear now.

Had he really just imagined it all? It'd felt so _real._ Soul really believed it was his partner reaching out to him.

Was it really possible that he'd _made up_ the feeling of his partner's wavelength reaching out to him? Maka wasn't something someone could just _make up._

Maka wasn't replicable. She was tough, kind, smart; her determination showed by the way she threw everything she had into her goals, her joy from her giggles at his stupid attempts at jokes and her passion from the light in her eyes during training. When she was angry the whole world cringed but she beamed at small children and smelled like vanilla when she got out of the shower. Maka was comfort, and Maka was courage.

Soul could think of a thousand words to describe her and still would never be able to do her justice.

She was so much more complex and beautiful than whatever Soul's screwed up brain could think up.

He didn't think he'd made it all up. It really did feel like her.

But the blank surrounding wilderness suggested otherwise.

Liz and Patty were back inside fighting a deadly battle and Tsubaki was slipping away. If Soul really had just imagined it all, _he'd just killed his friends._

* * *

The machine roared as Lady Darcy cranked it up to full power.

"This is bad," Liz's voice said through their connection. "What are we gonna do?"

Patty cringed. In all honesty she had no idea. But if she didn't think of something fast - and so far, she had nothing - this was going to be the end of them.

She cursed and slammed her fist against the ground.

They were just too close to the machine. There was no way to increase their distance, Patty's legs hurt so much that she could barely feel them, and at this distance the blast would be deadly. Liz was safer in her weapon form, but even then it was risky. No amount of attitude was going to change those things.

This was the end.

She gripped her sister's weapon form, fingers shaking as she grimaced into the ground. "I'm sorry, big sis," she whispered.

Liz's wavelength shuttered. "What? Patty-"

A tear rolled down the younger Thompson's dirtied cheek. As much as she wanted to believe, to keep up her spunky charisma, their time was down to seconds. "I tried...I…"

"Brat," Lady Darcy hissed. Bony fingers gripped Patty's shirt, yanking her off the ground. "Get the pistol too," the witch ordered.

"No!" Patty shrieked. Despite her tears and crumbling hope, despite the fact that her body was broken, she screamed and kicked and thrashed against the witch's hold with everything she had left in her.

Maybe she wasn't going to make it, maybe the last of her energy had winked away in their ambush attempt, but Patty would fight through hell and heaven and everything in between for her sister.

The machine was now glowing, set at the highest level. The witches were sure of their intentions. They meant to kill this time.

Only one other thing to do now.

"Aw fuck it." Patty gripped the trigger. "I love you, big sis. Tell Kid I love him too."

"Patty, _no-_ "

When the machine exploded it was like fireworks.

Patty always loved fireworks.

* * *

As soon as the forest line receded Kid and Black Star killed their engines and swerved to a stop. Maka flew off her seat and was madly staggering through the snow before the kicked up flurries even began to settle.

They were so close.

Maka's chest physically hurt with an ache to see her partner again. How long had it been? Almost two weeks, she decided. Maka grimaced and pushed forward, feet dragging in the heavy white blanket covering the ground.

Thirteen days not knowing if her weapon was dead or alive.

Maka froze.

Still about fifty feet from the castle, her gaze trailed up the dark purple walls. It was small, compared to some of the others she'd seen in her time. Covered in a sparkly layer of frost it was almost… quaint; if, that is, there wasn't the possibility that her friends might've died in there.

A thought had dawned on her. If there was even still a chance, would she be able to fight? Without Soul?

Kid and Black Star soon caught up behind her, breath puffing clouds of steam in front of their faces. Those two would could do it. Definitely Black Star, if anything. Maka on the other hand was near useless.

She felt so weak, standing in between the other two meisters.

"MAKA!"

Said meister almost collapsed.

Maka spun in a frantic circle, desperately searching for the painfully familiar voice that'd slapped her out of her hopeless daze yet finding nothing.

"SOUL!" She smacked both Kid and Black Star on the shoulders, voice shrill and anxious. "Where did that come from?"

The wind picked up, howling fiercely and drowning out Maka's screams.

A bright purple light shot out from the castle windows and the whole building began to glow pink.

"That's Liz and Patty!" Kid exclaimed frantically.

"The hell is going on?" Black Star demanded.

"That purple light," Kid yelled over the sudden blizzard. "It feels like… like the weapons. All of their wavelengths mixed together."

Helplessness swarmed in Maka's lungs while snow flew in her eyes. She was sure that was Soul's voice. He was there. He was so close. But no matter where she looked all she saw was snow.

She promised she wouldn't let him slip away again.

Chaos swarmed around her, suffocating, debilitating. Maka's world exploded in magnificent light just as Soul's figure emerged from the blizzard and tackled her to the ground.


	15. The Smell of Burning Blood

It was just like waking up in the desert, except this time, her body felt the opposite extreme and her memories weren't malfunctioning in the slightest.

"Soul!" Maka snapped upright, the sudden movement making her head throb. A dull ring pressed against her eardrums and the smell of smoke hit her nose.

Yet everything else was oddly… peaceful.

She'd woken up under a pine tree, back at the forest line. Delicate needles lay scattered around her and aside from the awful stench of burning metal, the air was crisp and light. A single snowflake fell from one of the branches above her head and landed on Maka's nose.

Also different from waking up in the desert, this time she was alone.

Maka staggered to her feet, rubbing her temples as a dull ring pressed on her eardrums.

Her heart hammered in her chest. She'd blacked out shortly after the explosion went off, but what she did remember was sending waves of anxiety shooting up her spine.

Soul. That was him. _That was him._

After they tumbled down into the snow together Maka had a few seconds of consciousness before the blast. Soul was holding on to her so tight she couldn't move, couldn't see his face. Maka could still feel his arms wrapped around her.

They had been so close after being apart for so long and now he was _gone again._

Actually… they were all gone.

If Soul really had shielded her from the explosion, then why wasn't he lying next to her?

Maka jogged ahead a little. The sight in front of her stole the air from her lungs.

Kid and Black Star were standing with their backs to her, unmoving, staring in shock at the smoking debris of the used to be castle.

Neither of them turned around when they heard her coming.

Maka walked forward and stood next to Black Star. "Oh my god…"

The castle was decimated.

Huge chunks of broken stone lay scattered among splintered wood and snow. Small fires still burned. The air was stale, eerie, lifeless.

Everything smelled like burning blood.

"No..." Maka whispered to herself. She dropped to her knees, shaking, hopelessness filling her body like poison. "Soul..."

Black Star and Kid still hadn't moved - scared to react, scared to accept what had happened.

Maybe if they hadn't stopped to rest last night. Maybe if they just walked a little faster. Maybe if they left a day earlier.

"We're too late," Kid whispered.

Maka's chest heaved, breath coming in strangled inhales and tiny exhales until she was choking on anguished sobs. She shook her head and covered her mouth with her hands to quiet her cries, as if it made things real, as if her tears meant they really were too late.

No. No. No. Please no.

If they were too late then there was nothing left to keep her going, nothing left for her to hold onto.

An empty void grew in her soul like acid, burning through her courage at a ravaging pace.

"No way! Shut the hell up!" Black Star yelled at his fellow meisters. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and took off into the battlegrounds, scrambling over the piles of debris. "It can't be too late!"

Maka's hands dropped, letting unrestrained tears stream down her scraped cheeks and chin.

With ruins as bad as this, they must've fought till their lasts breaths.

Maka wrapped her arms around herself and doubled over as she screamed into the ground.

Anger. Regret. Devastation.

"Tsubaki!" Black Star called in the distance.

Kid hung his head.

Maka cried harder.

It was just… they'd been _so close._

Seconds of agony ticked by. Black Star eventually fell to his hands and knees, head bowed. Maka's cries were the only sound besides the soft crackle of diminishing flames.

The meisters were finally broken.

Maka felt hollow, like the blood, the breath, the courage had completely drained from her body. Her soul died with _her Soul._

They almost didn't hear Liz's faint, strained voice calling in the distance.

Kid - of course - realized it first. He stiffened, breath catching in his throat as he turned with wide, hopeful eyes towards the sound.

And there she was.

Maka looked up. The world seemed to stop for a second.

Outlined in stark white snow she staggered out of the forest line. Liz Thompson - bruised, bloody, but with a soft smile and the utmost happiness shining in her eyes. Icy tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Hey," she rasped. "Long time no see."

* * *

Still in shock, the tiniest whimper escaped from the Shinigami's throat.

"Kid…" Maka breathed, voice hollow.

Kid ran - sprinted. Yet while his legs moved but his mind was in shock. After being apart for so long and suddenly surprised with his weapon, standing like a fallen angel returning from battle, his mind had short circuited and all he could do was run to her.

Kid wrapped his arms around her in a smothering hug just as her knees buckled. Liz buried her face against his neck, tears staining her meister's jacket while the two of them slowly sunk to their knees.

"God I've missed you," Kid said breathlessly.

They could've stayed like that. Forever. Frozen among the snow in each other's arms.

"Are the others okay?" Kid asked softly. "Where's Patty?"

Liz sniffled and let go of their hug, didn't answer his questions. "I know where they are," she whispered. "We need to hurry."

* * *

There were holes in Liz's story. Her memory was hazy and without everyone conscious, it was impossible to know everything that happened.

According to what she did know, Patty had tried to sacrifice herself in order to blow up the castle. When Liz woke up amongst the rubble, Soul was carrying her back to where he'd left Tsubaki and Patty.

He passed out after that. Liz suspected he would've gone next to get Maka and the others had his body not given out.

"There. Behind those trees."

Maka felt sick.

They were three bodies lying in patches of scarlet snow.

Maka and Black Star ran blindly towards the figures, skidding on their knees in front of their partners in tears.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god," Black Star chanted as he gathered Tsubaki in his arms. "Is she… she's not moving…" Scooping her up in his lap he hugged his weapon against his chest. "Tsu… Hey, Tsu… c'mon, it's me. Please…"

Kid knelt next to Patty, brushing away the blood caked hair from her face. "My god…" Gently, Kid cradled her against his chest. "Patty." He kissed her forehead. "You were so brave. Please wake up."

Maka's hands shook as she crawled next to Soul. So many emotions were running through her head it felt like her soul was going to explode.

Slowly, Maka reached out and lifted Soul from the snow. He was _shirtless_ \- what the hell - and near blue to no surprise. She knew it wouldn't do much but Maka unzipped her jacket and held him against her sweater, doing her best to wrap the rest of her jacket around his frozen body.

His eyelashes fluttered and Maka almost lost it.

"Ma… Maka…"

Soul couldn't open his eyes, couldn't say anything other than his meister's name through numbed lips in a hypothermic trance.

Maka wasn't even sure if he was awake, but she kissed him anyway.

They inhaled in unison. Soul's purpling fingers flexed as his meister's warm lips moved like fire across his skin.

"Maka…"

"Soul." Maka choked, giggling through her tears out of sheer relief. She ran her fingers down the side of his face. "You're okay."

Soul shuddered, burrowing against her shoulder and neck. "Maka."

"I love you," Maka breathed. "I love you, Soul." She hugged closer. "I love you."

Maka thought she might've seen him smile.

The sound of helicopter blades hummed in the distance. "We're going home, Soul," Maka whispered through her tears. "It's over. We're going home."

She cried and rested her cheek against his forehead, slowly rocking back and forth as she held her weapon. "I'm sorry I let them take you."

Never again was she letting him go.

The helicopter got louder - two of them, actually. Their blades whipped at the pine trees and the snow as ladders dropped and two figures slid down like angels from heaven.

"Get Kid's team," Stein shouted at his partner from the other ladder. "I'll take the other four."

"Quick!" Marie waved her hand at the meisters. "Get them over here!"

Kid hoisted Patty on his back. "Go," he told Liz. "We'll be right behind you I promise."

Medical transport beds had dropped down too. With Soul, Tsubaki, and Patty safely secured, Black Star and Kid perched on the gurney straps, and Liz on the ladder with Marie, Maka let Stein pull her onto their own ladder and watched as the forest grew smaller and smaller beneath them.

As they ascended Maka made eye contact with Kid and Black Star.

The three of them nodded in solemn, determined agreement.

Never again.


	16. The End

"I cannot _believe_ they did that all of that," Marie fumed, arms crossed as she watched her students through the window from Stein's office. "Stupid! Did they learn nothing?!"

Maka's arm had to be rebroken and properly set (thankfully Soul had been unconscious at the time) but other than the bruises and minor cuts she was okay, and as soon as Stein gave her the clear Maka crawled onto Soul's adjacent bed. She sat propped up with pillows and held her dozing partner against her chest while Patty explained their escape plan.

"They could've waited," Marie sighed. "They didn't need to explode the whole castle!"

Patty wiggled her fingers and reenacted the explosion with her hands. The younger Thompson had been severely burned from the blast and looked like a small mummy wrapped in all those bandages. Since she was the one who remained in weapon form, besides a sprained ankle Liz mostly unharmed.

Stein chuckled softly. "Although rather messy it _was_ pretty smart."

Marie swatted his shoulder. " _Franken_!"

"Physically, Patty's stronger than her sister," he explained. "I don't think Liz would've faired as well if the situation had been switched. Plus it was a lot quicker than running around looking for an exit."

"It was reckless," Marie muttered. She paused, expression softening as she watched Kid smile at Patty and Soul snuggle against Maka's chest. "It's amazing they're all still alive."

Stein rested his chin on the back of his office chair and hummed. "And they did it all because of the bonds they share."

Marie's gaze flickered to her partner.

Still watching the students, Stein cocked his head to the side. "It should be interesting, trying to reconstruct Tsubaki's hands," he mused. "I think maybe I could do stitches in the shape of stars… do you think Black Star would like that?"

"...what?"

"And you know what," Stein continued nonchalantly, "despite the obvious challenges, this seemed to be a very good exercise in strengthening their mental will."

"They almost died."

"Yes, and they would've had they not realized the limits of their strengths were greater than they once thought."

Marie blinked. "Are you seriously comparing this to a lesson?"

Stein exhaled in a short laugh. "If that's what you want to call it."

Marie sighed and dragged her hands down her face. "These kids are going to give me gray hairs."

* * *

 **Tsubaki's hands were a battle in themselves.**

Stein had originally instructed her to ask Kid to rebandage her hands. "Your hands are extremely fragile at the moment," he'd said. "And frankly I'd prefer if Black Star didn't screw up my reconstruction."

Kid was the best logical choice. While Black Star and Patty enthused about the castle explosion, Tsubaki sat on the bathroom sink while Kid meticulously changed her bandages.

But as the only one who knew the _whole_ story - every bloody, painful detail because as Lord Death he felt a guilty and responsible for everything that happened - Kid's eyes watered the first time he saw her hands.

Tsubaki didn't know it, but Black Star always sat with his back against the bathroom door, and although he often had trouble being quiet, his ears were sharp and he saw the glassy shine in Kid's eyes and the strain in his jaw every time he left.

"Let me do it, Tsu," he said one day. "I promise I'll be careful."

There was something about the look he gave her: his eyes filled with such seriousness, the slight waver in his voice when he said. "you know I'd never hurt you, right?"

And thus led them to where they were now.

Tsubaki had never seen Black Star do something with such delicacy.

He snipped the bandages with steady hands. The razor sharp metal barely grazed her as he slipped the blade in between sensitive skin and cotton.

When he began undoing the thin wraps Black Star used only one hand. With the other he rubbed her thigh in soothing circles.

Any other situation would've been fixable with simple casts. But since she'd torn through her skin as well, the bandages needed to be changed to avoid infection.

The final strips of white fluttered into the trashcan and Tsubaki shivered.

Jagged red scars snaked up both wrists, weaving in between the creases of her hands, splitting soft skin that Black Star used to love running across his sore shoulders after a hard workout.

An odd feeling of protectiveness and guilt swirled in his chest.

Black Star swallowed thickly and gently set them down in her lap. "Stein said on the fifth change we should let them air out a bit," murmured.

The cold air on her hands was almost unbearable, but Tsubaki smiled softly. "You remember that?"

"Of course, Tsu," Black Star stood on his toes and lightly rested his forehead against hers. "A big guy like me can take care of you."

Her smile widened.

Black Star's calloused hands comfortingly squeezed her shoulders. "Tell me how this happened?"

"The handcuffs were a little tight."

"What do you mean?"

Tsubaki sighed against her partner, head lowering to rest on his shoulder. "I… figured if I pulled hard enough I could get out," she said. "It was the only way to escape."

" _Huh_?" Black Star leaned back, holding her up by the shoulders as he leaned down to look in her lowered gaze. "You _pulled_ your hands out of _handcuffs_?"

Tsubaki nodded. "Stupid, huh?"

"Noooooo." Black Star's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Oh my god _no,_ Tsu, that's fucking cool. You are _amazing_ holy shit."

He ran his hands over her forearms, fingers hovering above her hands like they were crystal sculptures. "... _wow_ , Tsu…"

Black Star clambered onto the sink and Tsubaki's light giggle echoed against the bathroom tiles as he pulled her into his arms.

* * *

"Can I try something different?" Kid hummed as he sat on his weapon's bed.

Already half asleep, Liz sighed against her partner and nodded.

With a feathery touch he brushed Liz's golden hair off her shoulders and pulled her back between his legs.

His hands were so warm.

In the background the TV buzzed softly in the bedroom. Patty was curled up in a wad of blankets on the pink bean bag chair in the corner, her hair gently pulled back from her face in twin french braids.

"I've asked Kim to tighten our surveillance on the witches,"Kid said solemnly as he combed through silky locks. "Lady Darcy was something we didn't see coming. Apparently Mabaa had no idea of her plan."

He paused in the middle of separating his partner's hair, fingers tensing. "Regardless, I refuse to let anything like this happen again."

Liz reached back and put her hand on Kid's leg. "I know," she murmured. "It's okay. It's over."

Kid sighed, continuing the fishtail braid.

No one spoke again until he got down to the base of her neck.

"When I saw you in the forest," Kid murmured, "I almost thought I was dreaming."

"Hm. So did I," Liz chuckled softly. "I also couldn't feel my fingers."

Elastic snapped into place and strong hands slipped around her waist from behind. Kid rested his head on her shoulder, lips brushing against her neck he breathed out a sigh.

Shivers ran up Liz's spine.

Slowly, she placed her hands over his as they clasped over her stomach. Both of their hearts were racing. Hesitant. Enamorated.

Liz turned her head, cheek pressing against his forehead. "What are you doing…" she breathed.

His hold loosened and he lifted his head to look in her eyes.

Cheeks flushed, Liz swallowed nervously as she stared over her shoulder into intense, smoldering gold.

If anyone asked either of them, they would say it was the _other_ that initiated the kiss.

* * *

Soul's room was lit under the soft glow of his bedside lamp. It was their first night out of the Infirmary, and though Stein had given them strict bedrest orders, their hearts were burning and there were feelings that needed to be dealt with.

Maka slid back against his dark red pillows and Soul hesitantly crawled over her, directed by his meister's steady gaze.

She moved onto her back and Soul lowered to his elbows.

Was he dreaming again? If he pinched himself hard enough, would we wake up on the floor of the draining cell? Lost. Scared. Broken…

He loved her, so damn much, and he didn't think his heart could handle it if this was another illusion and their moment ended in Maka's fake cackle tearing through his self esteem.

He paused.

"What is it?" Maka asked softly.

Heart hammering in his chest, Soul squeezed his eyes shut. Memories of the dungeons swirled in the back of his mind.

Maka reached up, cupping the sides of his face in her hands. "Hey. Look at me."

When she tilted her chin up and kissed him, Soul saw star's in his eyes and felt fire on his skin. He the ability to put into words what he was feeling after that.

Was there a way to describe the how he loved with her with _more_ than his heart? That he loved her so much he wanted to melt into her until he was nothing. That he would kill and be killed for her and go through a lifetime of drainings in the witches' castle as long as it meant she would be okay. That he loved her with every particle of his soul and more.

When Soul opened his eyes he was crying. "I love you," he whispered.

Maka wiped his cheeks with her thumb, a tender smile forming across perfect lips. She kissed him again and in unison they inhaled.

If Soul's heart started beating any faster he was going to have a heart attack.

Her fingers smoothed down his sides, leaving searing trails wherever she touched, and tangled in the bottom of his shirt.

"Maka…you don't have to..."

"I want to," she breathed. "I love you too, Soul."


	17. Epilogue

True, maybe if it hadn't happened, that night in the basement would've morphed into day and then each pair would've gone home in blushed silence and perhaps explored the new doors opened from the trailing fingers and close embraces.

But since it had, Maka, Soul, Tsubaki, Black Star, Kid, Liz, and Patty, went to sleep each night now knowing the immense devotion and love shared among the group, among each other.

Knowing Black Star would pour every ounce of his soul into finding the weapons, while his blood dripped to the ground of searing desert and icy tundra.

Knowing Kid would be the backbone of their sanity, standing strong amongst the swarming chaos despite his own fight inside his head.

Knowing Maka would force her abilities to their breaking point in order to locate her friends because she knew it would be faster than waiting for the search teams.

Knowing Soul would walk forever through numbing snow without shoes or a shirt, holding up his fellow weapon while his veins froze, as long as he could make sure the meisters were safe.

Knowing that Tsubaki would give up her hands and willingly subject herself to horrible pain if only to save her friends from death by exhaustion of the soul.

That Liz and Patty would risk their lives in a suicide mission if it meant saving the others.

And that Patty would go one step further than that risk, choosing her own death without a second thought, even if it meant never seeing Kid and the others again, but ensuring that Soul and Tsubaki and her big sister would get to see their loved ones.

True, because of Lady Darcy the meisters and weapons at one point thought the end of all hope. But the rainbow after the storm couldn't have been more beautiful.

 _ **"Without you, I am lost. But once found, I'll never be missing again."**_


End file.
